Born of Wind - Of The Elements Series Book 1

Chapter 1

The bulbub trees were the best in the forest because their bark glowed green at night, their sweet-tasting roots bated animals, and their vines hung in sheets that could be pulled back and hidden behind.

Two creatures stood between two such trees, digging deeper into the muddy soil in search of the tasty roots, unaware they were being watched. The image of these creatures took form on the page of a journal, not far away. From their shiny scaled hides and wide-set, golden eyes, to the mossy tufts like fur that grew wildly on their stumpy legs: these creatures had no names, so Meleena, who hid behind the bulbub tree curtain, called them muul'dre as she hurriedly sketched the details of these creatures inside her precious journal. She was the first person ever to do so, to her knowledge.

Her notes about the muul'dre's behaviors crowded the margins: one couldn't bother with neatness in these rapidly changing settings. The pages were bound with thread to a clamshell cover, broader than the span of her fingertips, and squashed in the pages were flattened seedpods, leaves, feathers, and tufts of moss.

Meleena kept aware of the croaking, the blooping of birds and the patter of raindrops which echoed through the forest canopy like a pulse, telling her there was peace in this moment as she held her journal aloft.

She flicked away the odd pesky strand of seaweed-blue hair from her face. They floated in the air as if underwater, which was always a bother on land. Then again, she welcomed the warmth as the tendrils soaked up the sun's rays, energizing her and staving off hunger. It was forbidden, of course, during school hours to be out here, alone, but who would ever know?

The sounds of the forest stopped, causing Meleena's writing hand to tense. A crash shook the leafy canopy as what looked like two bushes crashed through, bulbous yet pointed at the end: a green beak. The beak separated, then snapped together like a clamp over the muul'dre's torso. The muul'dre let out a long cry as blue blood oozed out of its side and it lifted, up, up, up...

The beak connected to a long, rope-like neck, covered in moss, and a plump body atop two gangly legs, which Meleena had previously mistaken for sapling tree trunks.

Meleena's eyes widened. The giant bird blinked a tiny eye in the center of its leaf-beaked head and drew up, gulping its prey down whole. It happened so fast, the muul'dre's beetle-hide hadn't even shimmered as it normally did when alarmed.

A second later, its companion's did, but the muul'dre's rainbow jostling of scales came too late.

"Ruuu!" The alarm cry rang from the second muul'dre as it attempted to flee towards the undergrowth. Meleena tried her best to sketch the face of the bird, but her hair kept getting in the way and her glasses kept sliding down the bridge of her nose.

The gangly legs of the great bird were swift, its plump green body covered in moss rather than feathers, shining in dappled sunlight.

Meleena's fingers tingled. Being so close to danger caused adrenaline to flow through her veins. Her sense of safety shattered as a rustling from behind sent her stumbling off balance, tipping her headlong into the wet leaves and landing in a startled heap.

"Meleena!"

Fear jolted inside Meleena, which soon gave way to anger as the familiarity of the voice hit her. How could her mother have found her, here?

The woman who staggered from the bushes and pulled back the bulbub tree curtain had similar features to hers, though streaked with worry lines. While Meleena's hair hung in strands and had become riddled with twigs, her mother's similar blue hair sat high in a neat bun.

"Impossible! You've really been ditching your last year of school to hide in the forest!"

"Mama, what are you doing here? It's not safe for you!"